40-day ‘Target Fast’ underway to boycott Target DEI rollbacks
Pastor Dr. Jamal Bryant, leading the “Target Fast,” urges Target executives to restore DEI policies, hoping the boycott forces a reversal.
A multi-week boycott of Target kicked off Wednesday as a collective response, led by Black faith leaders, to protest the retail giant’s retreat from diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
In late January, Minnesota-based Target joined a growing group of major companies in announcing an end to efforts focused on DEI. The shift attracted particularly harsh criticism from some who noted the company’s reputation for inclusiveness has helped it attract a younger, more diverse consumer base.
The boycott action comes as other groups of consumers and activists have been engaging in broader one-day boycotts against a wider array of companies, as well as Target and a separate boycott by Minnesota activists against Target, which began Feb. 1 to coincide with Black History month.
Here’s what we know about the Target boycott.
What is the 40-day Target Fast? What to know about the national boycott
The national Target boycott is led by Black faith leaders like Jamal-Harrison Bryant, who are urging members of their congregation to protest the rollback on DEI initiatives.
Bryant is a senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Georgia as well as an activist and author. He has called on the Black faith community to start a “40-day fast” from shopping at Target. The period coincides with Lent, which began on March 6 and continues through April 20.
More information about the boycott can be found at the website targetfast.org.
“In recent days, we have witnessed a disturbing retreat from Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives by major corporations – companies that once pledged to stand for justice but have since chosen the path of compromise,” Targetfast.org states. “As people of faith, we cannot be silent. We are called to resist systems that perpetuate exclusion and inequity.”
The site continued, saying Black America are “strong consumers with astounding brand loyalty. To see companies we’ve supported heavily — like McDonald’s Ford Motors, Amazon, Meta, and Walmart — betray our long-standing relationship is beyond disheartening.”
In an interview with USA TODAY, Bryant said “we called on a fast from Target because we believe that the company’s change in position is a slap in the face.”
“Black people, on average, spend $12 million a day at Target,” Bryant said. “The fact of the matter is that Target made a pledge to our community after the killing of George Floyd of $2 billion into Black business and when the administration changed, they disavowed as if it never happened. The pledge was never made under DEI or affirmative action. It was out of decency and to humanity. To walk away from it is insult to injury.”
Bryant’s group is calling on 100,000 Black Americans to take the pledge not to shop at Target for 40 days.So far, Bryant said 110,000 people had signed the pledge and “legions more” have also shared about the boycott on social media.
Consumers who have signed a pledge on the website will receive a digital business directory from the Black Chamber of Commerce with 300,000 Black-owned businesses along with a 40-day prayer journal. Participants are also encouraged to sell any Target stock they may own.
The action is making four demands of Target:
- Honor the $2 billion dollar pledge to the Black Business community by purchasing products, services, and making Black media buys.
- Deposit $250 million among 23 Black banks.
- Completely restore the retailer’s commitment to DEI.
- Create community centers at 10 HBCU (Historically Black colleges and universities) to teach retail business at every level.
The 40 days of the fast is a benchmark and could be extended, Bryant said.
“Because Target is publicly traded, we’ll be able to gauge what the economic impact of 110,000 people not going and diverting their funds in a different way,” Bryant said. “If the board and the CEO of Target remains steadfast, then we’re committed to sojourn until there is an adjustment.”
Target reports drop of sales in February after change in DEI policy
The 40-day fast of Target comes at a tough time for the retailer. On Tuesday during an earnings call, Target reported that its sales had dropped slightly in February. A nationwide boycott of Target by Minnesota activists protesting Target’s rollback of DEI initiatives began Feb. 1, and another consumer group had a broader one-day economic blackout on Feb. 28.
“In light of ongoing consumer uncertainty and a small decline in February net sales, combined with tariff uncertainty and the expected timing of certain costs within the fiscal year, the company expects to see meaningful year-over-year profit pressure in its first quarter relative to the remainder of the year,” Target said in a press release. Company CEO Brian Cornell also warned that prices could increase within days, due to new tariffs imposed on goods from Mexico and Canada.
Target has not responded to multiple messages seeking comment about boycotts against the retailer.
Could the boycott against Target work?
It makes sense that Target is being targeted because “in 2020, Target specifically ramped up their DEI efforts in the wake of the George Floyd murder because it was in Minneapolis and their base is there,” said Diane Merians Penaloza, doctoral lecturer in the Online Business Programs at City University of New York School of Professional Studies. ” They took it very personally and there was a reaction, which was they saw a huge increase in revenue.”
Target’s market share for Black consumers is around 18% and its core audience is millennials at around 38%, Merians Penaloza told USA TODAY. Those two groups tend to shop companies that align with their beliefs, she said, “so Target eliminating their DEI efforts takes them out of alignment with their core audience. This is something that can do some serious damage to the revenue in the long run.”
Because Target took such a significant stance on DEI efforts, the retreat from them “almost feels like it’s a personal afront in many ways,” Merians Penaloza said.
Target is also under additional pressure from tariffs and shrinking consumer demand, she said.
How many Targets does Texas have?
Texas has the second-highest number of Target stores among states, according to ScrapeHero. With 157 locations, Texas is home to 8% of all U.S. stores. California claims 318, or 16% of stores.
What other boycotts are planned? See list
The 40-day fast is one of several planned by different groups. A national boycott of Target started Feb. 1 to coincide with Black History Month. It was launched by civil rights activists in Minneapolis who were upset that Target has rolled back its DEI programs.
Another boycott that lasts through the end of the year was outlined on Instagram by comedian and actress Leslie Jones. It encourages consumers to buy directly from Black-owned businesses and outlines planned protests in certain months against Amazon, Target and Walmart.
The Latino community has also been active on social media using the hashtag #LatinoFreeze, encouraging supporters to “hold your money” amid freezes on DEI initiatives, reduced funding for the National Institutes of Health and actions on immigration.
The movement encourages Latino Americans to shop only for essentials and to be thoughtful about where to buy with a focus on supporting “Latino American, Black American and Allied American Businesses that are supportive to this movement.”
The Rev. Al Sharpton and the National Action Network also have held a few “buy-cotts” to bring supporters to Costco to spend money in support of the company’s board of directors, which voted down an effort to drop DEI initiatives.
The National Action Network also said in a news release that it would lead “a strategic boycott in the next 90 days of two companies that have dropped their DEI commitments amid public pressure.” No details have been released.
The People’s Union USA, an organization started by John Swartz, who organized the Feb. 28 one-day blackout, has since expanded its boycotting efforts. It includes boycotts of various companies and retailers over different weeks:
- Amazon: March 7 – 14
- Nestle: March 21-28
- Walmart: April 7 – 14
Another broad one-day economic blackout, like the one on Feb. 28, is planned for April 18 — which may be extended through the weekend, Swartz said.
More information on the group’s efforts can be found at the website thepeoplesunionusa.com.
How effective are boycotts?
Boycotts can have mixed results.
Conservative activists have successfully rallied in recent years to force retailers and companies to rein in their DEI efforts by staging boycotts to hurt sales.
Professors have previously told USA TODAY that boycotts can be successful in shaming a company into reversing decisions or taking action, but they don’t always work. There needs to be clear demands outlined, they say. But consumers do like being able to take action against something they feel strongly about.
The Feb. 28 one-day economic blackout was interesting because it was coming from so many different audiences simultaneously, but Merians Penaloza said she is unsure if it had any real impact, other than a symbolic one.
“I think that an entire community of people getting together and saying ‘We’re not going to shop for 40 days this brand’ is impactful,” she said. “It will expand outside of just that audience and everybody who is sympathetic to that audience is also going to participate, so it has the ability to make a bigger impact.
The outcome will also depend, however, on the action getting lots of public and media attention, Merians Penaloza said.
— USA TODAY contributed to this report.
